


Not My Cup of Tea

by SilverEclipse



Category: (여자)아이들 | (G)I-DLE
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, Friendship, yes its the coffeeshop AU no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:48:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27225298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverEclipse/pseuds/SilverEclipse
Summary: Soyeon works at a café in town. It's not a fancy or popular café but it's convenient and comfortable so she doesn't mind working there. However, there's nothing convenient or comfortable about Song Yuqi and the way she unexpectedly barges into her café and life (again).
Relationships: Jeon Soyeon/Song Yuqi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

Soyeon wouldn't say she hated her job. She really didn't.

She didn't necessarily _like_ her job either, but that was not the point.

Broke college students couldn't afford to be too picky about the kind of jobs that gave them the money they needed to fill their pockets. She had her family, but she didn't want to put even more financial burden on her parents. They had already supported her through high school. It was time she shared the responsibility to fund her college education.

Hence, there she was, working in a café in the middle of downtown Seoul.

She liked making coffee. Grinding the coffee beans, frothing the milk and pulling the shot. It was all rhythmic actions that created a momentum. The aroma of roasted coffee beans had its own charm and the process was calming in its own way.

She was fortunate to have taken a light schedule this semester so she could take up more shifts than usual. As a college student, she could only afford to be a part-timer but now that many of the other students in the city were on break, the café was more crowded than usual and they could use the extra set of hands.

Most students tended to work less during the school year, because they had to study as well as participate in social activities after school. Soyeon considered herself lucky that she didn't have much of an issue in that aspect. Joining clubs and societies wasn't at the forefront of her university goals; and it wasn't as though she had much of a social life to begin with.

As a child, her family had to shift around due to her father’s job, so it didn't leave her with much time to socialize. Apart from her younger sister, socializing with other children wasn't a major part of her childhood. It was hard to sustain friendships when she was constantly transferring schools and changing addresses. Her mother had told her to think of life as travelling on a train and stopping at different stations for a while. It had helped, but there were only so many “stations” she could visit before she started questioning when she would be able to reach her destination.

The shortest time she had spent in one place was three months.

It had been a rather awkward experience from beginning to end. No one wanted to befriend the socially awkward girl who entered in the middle of the school year. She had arrived just before project season started. Hence, she was slotted into many of the groups last minute and she spent most of time playing catch-up with the school syllabus.

Everyone already had their own groups of friends so even if they were kind enough to acknowledge her presence in classes, it made no difference when she suddenly stopped coming for classes near the end of the year. She didn't even get to sit in for the final examinations because the move happened so quickly. Her father had told them over dinner that he had gotten transferred to another branch in lieu of a physical promotion, so they had to leave before their lease was up. There was no room for protest.

She had barely interacted with her schoolmates enough for them to know her name, much less leave a lasting impression on them. Hence, on her last day of class, she took attendance, and took notes while the teacher droned about mathematical equations and balancing chemical compounds. She laughed along with the jokes made by her classmates, and for a second, she forgot that she wouldn't be coming back. Of course, she received her wake-up call at the end of class. When the bell rang to signal the end of the official school day, she picked up her bag, silently slipped the thin notebooks under her desk into her bag, and left the compound along with the other students.

It was just as well. Soyeon wasn't great with goodbyes.

She had realized a long while ago that most students were happy to wave and greet other people, but it didn’t mean they noticed or cared about them. Some people were only close and friendly out of necessity and familiarity. It was hard to not become close with people you were forced to meet and interact with on a daily basis. However, once that regularity ceased, interacting becomes a choice.

She had cried once, on the day she had to leave her childhood home and bid goodbye to her neighbors and friends. At the time, she couldn't imagine how she could afford to live without seeing them every day. They promised to keep in touch and be friends forever, like children normally would. However, more than a decade had passed since she had last spoken to them and she had forgotten how most of their voices sounded.

After the first few places, she stopped thinking of her house as a “home”. It became more of a residence that she was currently staying in. She also stopped worrying about making friends since she wasn’t going to be around long enough to keep them.

However, as much as Soyeon wasn't good at saying goodbye, she was even worse with confrontations. Hence, when Song Yuqi appeared in front of her out of the blue, the only thing she could do was plaster a smile on her face and ask her for her drink order. She couldn't believe that it was really her. She hadn’t seen Yuqi in years, but she was just as striking as ever.

The girl had come into the café accompanied by a group of girls, so she hadn’t recognized the familiar face amongst them at first. They were all wearing similar practice uniforms and adorned with school jackets so Soyeon assumed they were all from the same team. It was Yuqi’s voice that caught her attention, specifically her obnoxiously loud laughter. They were in the middle of sharing a joke, it seemed. Yuqi’s head was turned towards one of her team members as she covered her mouth with her hand, although it did little to muffle the volume.

It had been a couple of years since she had last seen her, but Song Yuqi was Song Yuqi. She had an easy going nature and a smile that lightened the atmosphere around her. She had a natural gravity of some sorts, that drew people towards her. Yuqi probably wasn't aware of her own ability, but as an outsider, Soyeon could see the effects clear as day.

As the group searched for a table, Soyeon peeked over the glass display that rested on their counter and hid her from their view.

There was a loud screech as some of the girls dragged extra chairs to a small table in order to accommodate their party size. It was followed by hushed giggles and mock scolding from the other members and Soyeon frowned a little at the ruckus. She hoped the other customers wouldn't make a complaint. It didn't come as a complete surprise though, considering that they were Yuqi’s friends. Even in school, she had been one of the more vocal students in class.

Soyeon took a few seconds to observe her. Yuqi had straightened her hair. Gone were the brown curled ringlets she used to sport when they were in school together. Soyeon remembered thinking that Yuqi’s high ponytails made her resemble a toy poodle whenever the girl ran around during their physical education classes. If they were friends, Soyeon would probably have teased her about it, but they weren’t. Yuqi didn't even know she existed. The other girl always had a crowd of people around her, be them her usual group of friends or just juniors she encountered in the hallway. In the past, Yuqi had been known for being friendly and kind to everyone, which made her approachable and that hadn’t changed.

“Unnie.” A low voice hissed in her ear.

Soyeon bit back a yelp from escaping her throat as she whipped around in surprise. It was just her luck that the person who had discovered her was none other than Yeh Shuhua. She had taken the younger girl under her wing when she had applied for a job. Despite getting on her nerves at times, Shuhua had become somewhat of a sister to her.

Soojin was the only employee her age, and the reason why she spent most of her breaks “helping” in the kitchen. Or rather, avoiding Soojin’s slaps as she tried to sneak samples of her pastries. They had become close friends almost immediately and apart from Shuhua, there was no one else she would rather spend time with.

It had been a running joke for the longest time that Miyeon was at fault for allocating duties such that all the introverts were forced to the interact with the customers. However, she couldn't deny that within the current pool of employees, Soojin was better off in the kitchen. In comparison to the rest of them, at least _her_ food was edible.

Between her and Shuhua though, she knew how to make coffee and handle customers; Shuhua could be loud and extroverted when the situation called for it. Hence, when it came down to it, the division of labor was rather simple. However, right there and then, Soyeon wished that it had been someone else who found her.

The younger girl was giving her an evil smirk, which Soyeon didn't like.

“Yes?” Soyeon asked, daring her to make a statement. 

“Nothing.” Despite her light tone, Shuhua’s smirk remained on her face. There was no getting out of this one. By the end of the day, she was sure that both Soojin and Shuhua would have something to say. Soyeon wanted to grimace at the sight of the youngest worker looking so sure of herself.

Soyeon glared at her. There was a jingle as a couple who had been seated near the window walked out of the café. The older of the two peeped out again to check that they hadn’t left any of their belongings behind before turning back to her co-worker.

“You have tables to clear.” She said evenly.

Technically, either of them could clear tables. As counter-staff, they mostly juggled with handling customers and making drinks. Their café had a counter for returning the utensils after use, which helped them during peak hours. However, there were always customers who weren’t aware of its existence. As long as they didn't make a mess of things, Soyeon wasn't against doing a bit of extra work every now and then. 

Shuhua’s gaze flitted over her shoulder, and her grin turned wolfish all of a sudden. “You have customers to attend to.”

Before she could say anything else, the taller girl stepped around her and walked towards the tables. Now that her view wasn't obstructed, Soyeon realized Shuhua had been right about the customers, and scurried towards the line that had begun to form.

“Hi, sorry to keep you waiting. May I take your order?”

“Yes.” The girl said, a little too enthusiastically for Soyeon’s taste. She had encountered customers who asked for strange menus and drinks which didn't exist on the menu. As far as she could, she would try to come up with combinations of ingredients in the pantry which would give customers what they want. Shuhua often had trouble with handling the crazier orders, but for Soyeon, it was a form of entertainment. “I’ll have an iced sweet potato latte, less ice, and no sugar.”

Soyeon held back a smile as she keyed in the order into the register. The online system allowed for custom variations, but every change had to be individually edited. It was inconvenient, but doable. She had experienced fussy buyers so this wasn't new to her. However, before she could finish typing up the modifications, the customer quickly interrupted her. “Wait! Can I have it without milk and without coffee instead?”

_Okay, that was new._

“No milk and no coffee?” Soyeon repeated in part confusion and part amusement. It felt like her brain had to play catch up to whatever the customer was trying to get at. Her hand stilled mid typing and she looked up to confirm the girl’s order. “For a latte?”

“Yes.” The customer nodded. “Is that possible?”

Soyeon had to hold back her laughter. “Well, it would be just sweet potato blended with ice… If that’s what you want.”

“Oh…” The girl paused, as if realizing what she had just ordered. “Then I’ll have an ice blended sweet potato, but less ice.”

“There’s still milk in that, but I’ll give you almond milk instead.” Soyeon offered. She wasn't sure whether she was lactose intolerant or just didn't like the taste of milk, but it was always best to be safe. She had heard horror stories from customers who had encountered baristas who gave them sugar deliberately, not realizing they were diabetic.

“That would be great. Thanks.” The girl smiled as she handed over her credit card.

Soyeon glanced at the name and scribbled it on the cup just as Shuhua returned to her side. Soyeon quickly handed the cup and the order to the younger girl so that Shuhua could get started on making the drink while she collected payment.

Soyeon was more familiar with handling the coffee machine so she usually made the coffee. It was no secret that she had become pretty good at it. Due to her lack of confidence, Shuhua handled the tea and the mixing of any flavored drinks. Soyeon had been training her after they closed up for the day, with Soojin as their guinea pig, but Shuhua was still not prepared for the rush hour.

“Unnie, we ran out of almond milk. Where did you and Soojin-unnie put the new cartons?” Shuhua called out to her.

Realizing that it would be more efficient for her to retrieve the carton herself, Soyeon scooted over to the cabinet which she had just stocked up in the morning. She slid the carton over to her and instructed her quickly.

“Use half the portion we normally use, and filter out the last layer of ice when you’re pouring out the mixture.”

She wasn't sure whether Shuhua had gotten all of that, but if the café wasn't too crowded, she would take a couple of seconds to check on the drinks before the customers were called. She trusted the younger girl, but Shuhua was still considered a new employee, and this was her first part-time job. Hence, she took it upon herself to reduce the chances of them getting complaints from customers.

The lady had gone back to her seat to wait for her order, but all too soon, another customer had taken her place in line. The café wasn't especially crowded, but customers tended to have a herd mindset. When someone lined up to order, there would always be a number of people who decided to queue up behind them.

“Hi, what can I get you?” Soyeon had thankfully finished her sentence by the time she turned to the next customer, because she was certain that she wouldn't have been able to speak otherwise.

Song Yuqi was staring intently at the menu on the board above her. There was a moment where their eyes locked, but it was broken by Yuqi glancing down at the menu in front of the register. She definitely hadn’t recognized Soyeon but the latter didn't let it bother her too much.

She looked so focused on reading the menu that Soyeon melted a little bit. “Do you need more time to decide?”

“What would you recommend?” Yuqi asked finally. Her voice was exactly as how she remembered.

“Well, it’s in the middle of summer. You can’t go wrong with iced americano.” Soyeon hoped her voice didn't waver. It was her first time speaking face to face with her childhood acquaintance, even though it wasn't really an acquaintance when one party hadn’t known the other existed. She remembered watching her answer and ask questions in chemistry class, despite getting the answers wrong. She somewhat admired her attitude.

“Okay, I’ll have a tall iced americano.” Yuqi said decisively. As if she suddenly remembered her manners, she quickly added another a word to the end of the sentence. “Please.”

Soyeon had just collected the money from her when there was a voice from the table of girls. “Hurry up, we’re going to start without you!”

“Ugh stop, you’re all horrible!” Yuqi turned around and yelled back. If it had been someone else, Soyeon would have reminded them that this was a café and they were disturbing other customers. However, she simply keyed in the sum and prepared the receipt and change.

“It’s a live stream.” One girl pointed out. “Stop being indecisive and just order.”

There was a strangled huff as Yuqi turned away from the table of girls who were laughing at her.

_Right_ , _Yuqi was just a customer._ She reminded herself. That realization seemed to stir something else within her because her movement speed quickened. Before Yuqi could say anything else, Soyeon had the receipt prepared so that the girl didn't have to waste more time with her. It was almost mechanical, the way she passed the piece of paper to her. However, Yuqi didn't seem to think anything of it. Instead, her warm smile appeared again when she thanked her. Soyeon pushed down the urge to smile and say something that she would regret. 

It was just as well because the moment was over before she could blink. Yuqi seemingly got reabsorbed back into the group as the girls crowded around a single computer screen. It didn't escape her notice that Yuqi was the only one who had bought something. She made a mental note to remind Miyeon to consider adding a rule that if the group was making a ruckus, at least half the group had to be paying customers. She had brought it up but the manager was reluctant to add such a strict rule to the café notice and website.

Soyeon shrugged as she wrote down “Yuqi” on the cup before getting to work on pulling the espresso shot. She could hear the chatter from the girls sitting around the table even with her back turned. As she focused on the familiar whirring of the coffee machine and the wafting coffee beans as the dark liquid dripped into the cup, the group of girls faded into a bunch of noisy customers instead of a missed opportunity.

She still made sure that the one who yelled out Yuqi’s name was Shuhua though. Her co-worker didn't think twice about calling out her name, which was a relief. Although she was certain that Shuhua would have something to say about it after her shift.

There was a soft pattering of feet as the girl in question rushed over to the counter. Soyeon was handling another customer but she couldn't help but look over at the sound of her voice. Yuqi collected the iced drink with a polite smile and quick “thank you” before she walked back to her friends.

Yuqi took a sip of the coffee and made a face, but she tried to cover it up when one of her friends turned to ask her something. Soyeon had to disguise her own laugh as a cough when she caught Shuhua watching her curiously. Instead, she waited for the younger girl to get distracted by her timer beeping before she chanced another look at the table. Yuqi had taken another small sip of the coffee, but she didn't look as bothered by it.

Yuqi probably hadn’t realized that she hadn’t told Soyeon her name when she made her order. Soyeon shook her head. She couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. However, the group probably picked that café because it was convenient and they wanted to use the Wi-Fi. As such, it was unlikely that she would be encountering Yuqi again. Their paths had just crossed momentarily, but the reminder that people from her past were doing well and happy gave her some form of closure.

Just then, the bell on the counter sounded, signaling that there was another customer waiting for her to take their order. Soyeon had momentarily gotten lost in her childhood memories. She had to get back to reality.

She had coffee to make, and girls to avoid thinking about. Life would go on, and she would forget about Yuqi again.

Hence, the barista adjusted her hair and turned to the next customer with a practiced smile.

“Hello, what drink would you like to have?” 


	2. Chapter 2

Song Yuqi wasn't an avid believer in fate.

If someone asked her, she would humbly declare that she was just more fortunate than most. Her parents had always taught her to be appreciative of whatever she had been blessed with. That was advice she lived by.

Her family wasn't wealthy, but her parents made enough income for them to live comfortable lives. The family had made the move to Korea for the sake of her education long ago. She took her studies seriously, but she wouldn't consider herself as particularly intelligent or intellectual. She had studied hard in school and had been fortunate enough to have grades which showed her effort. She called it luck that the topics she studied had come up in the examinations.

She wasn't popular. She was simply fortunate enough to have met people in school who enjoyed spending time with her and vice versa. She had a circle of close friends but she also had many friends and acquaintances whom she could strike conversations with whenever she wanted.

It was difficult to find people to click with, according to her best friend, so she was luckier than most. However, Yuqi enjoyed a variety of conversational topics and she was more outspoken than other students. Conversing with strangers had never been an issue with her. In fact, it was one of her strong points.

She had also never found herself at a loss for words, at least until the day she walked into a café with a bunch of friends and saw _her_.

The café had been conveniently located along the streets of downtown Seoul. It was close enough to their school and walking distance to the nearest subway station. Their team leader had made a good choice, she had to admit.

Somehow or another, she ended up being the assigned member to buy a drink while the rest of them set up the computer. She could hear their voices even while she was queuing up to make her order. Part of her cringed internally at the volume at which they were speaking at.

She overheard the customer in front of her giving her order and felt sorry for the barista.

_What kind of person would order a latte without coffee and milk?_

Glancing over the menu, she tried to find a drink that wasn't as complicated. She hadn’t even realized that the girl in front of her had departed until someone cleared their throat. Yuqi looked up at met the barista’s gaze and for a second, she felt her breath catch.

She hadn’t noticed the barista when the group had entered the café, but

“Do you need more time to decide?” The pretty girl said. It was those words that snapped her back to reality. The barista spoke with a gentle voice. There was a half-smile on her face and Yuqi felt her cheeks heat up slightly. She wondered how long she had been staring the menu for. She was fortunate that there was no one lining up behind her.

Feeling awkward, she asked for the barista’s recommendation in the attempt to give her time to decide.

  
Truthfully, she wasn't fond of coffee. It was bitter and acidic, and it left her taste buds craving something sweet. She had been living in Korea for years, but iced americano, despite its popularity, hadn’t become one of her go-to drinks like she had anticipated. Hence, no one was more surprised than herself, when she found herself willingly ordering iced americano. The order was out of her mouth and being keyed into the computer by the time she realized what she had done. She blamed it on her unexpected state of absent mindedness. However, she couldn't bring herself to change her order.

The barista herself had recommended it. It couldn't be that bad.

Yuqi had barely passed the money over to the barista when she heard her teammates shouting for her. On instinct, she yelled her own response. She felt a new wave of embarrassment overtake her. Whether it was because of the barista or having her team interrupt her potential moment with said barista, she didn't know. All she knew was that she turned around and the barista was already ready with the receipt and she didn't have any other reason to keep the conversation going. She hadn’t even asked for her name.

Hiding her disappointment behind a smile, she thanked the girl and returned to her table.

“Why the glum face, Yuqi-ah?” One of the seniors asked as she approached the group. Yuqi quickly thought of something else to distract her mind. She could never hide her emotions well, so it was useless to pretend otherwise.

“Nothing. What did I miss?”

“Only the best parts.” Her teammate teased. Yuqi pouted petulantly and whined, slipping neatly into the role that she had always played in the group. There was a round of laughs before they focused on the livestream.

Her attention on the computer screen was broken by her senior elbowing her. When she looked up, it registered that someone was yelling her name. Yuqi stood and walked towards the pick-up counter to collect her drink. The voice was unfamiliar so it couldn't have been the barista who took her order. She could barely hear the barista even though they weren’t standing more than a meter apart. This particular voice was loud and unapologetic.

She reached the counter and caught sight of a taller brunette with long straight black hair. It was a first for her to see a café employee who didn't have their hair tied up, but the girl seemed to know what she was doing.

“Iced americano right?” Came the curt question. Yuqi nodded in confirmation and the drink was handed to her almost abruptly.

“Enjoy your drink.” The girl said monotonously before she went back to work, her hand already holding the next cup. She didn't sound like she meant it, but it was a refreshing change from the faux cheery greeting that other café employees had. It made her smile a little as she made her way back to the table.

Yuqi took a tentative sip of the coffee and grimaced at the trademark strong bitter taste. She swallowed the first mouthful before she contemplated whether she had made a mistake. The second sip went better. Perhaps her taste buds had gotten used to the acidity. By the time she finished half the drink, the bitterness didn't affect her as much as she She could be a little biased, but if she were a coffee person, she was certain that the drink would have appealed to her.

It didn't strike her until the girls were about to head off for dinner, that she hadn’t actually told the barista her name. Yet, her name was written in block letters on the side of the cup; and spelled correctly, she had to add. It was unusual for someone to get it right on the first try, considering that her name wasn't Korean.

Curious, she stared at the name printed on the receipt, which stated that her order had been done by “Shuhua”. She tried searching through her memories but she couldn't remember being acquainted with anyone by the name of Shuhua. She had half a mind to text her old friends to ask if they had heard of someone with that name. However, she reminded herself that perhaps the barista had overheard the other girls calling her, and she was making too much of a big deal over a simple thing.

Yuqi hummed to herself as she glanced towards the counter. She didn't know what she was looking for, but some part of her was hoping that taking another look would reveal something, anything that she could use to spark her memory. However, the pretty barista from earlier was no longer at the counter. She scanned the area behind the cashier but it seemed like the staff members had retreated into the back kitchen since there weren’t any new customers.

“Yuqi-ah, looking for someone?” She heard one of the girls say. They were all packing up their things and getting ready to leave.

“Uh… No, not exactly.” She answered, still wondering about the barista. “You guys didn't give my name to the staff earlier did you?”

“Why would we do that? It’s our first time here.” The girl replied with a laugh. Her expression became teasing and she slung her arm around Yuqi’s shoulder. “Unless you wanted one of us to be your wing-woman for one of the baristas.”

Yuqi bristled at the thought and shrugged her friend off. “What are you saying? Really...”

The other girls were already walking out of the café. Chancing one look back, she tried not to let the disappointment of the empty counter bother her as she rushed after her friends.

~~~

Yuqi had no idea how she ended up at the café again.

She couldn't call it fate if she had chosen to return to the café of her own will, could she? She even found herself with the same iced americano sitting in front of her, melting slowly in the summer heat. There was a clink as she stirred the drink with her straw mildly. It wouldn't make the coffee less bitter, but it gave her something to occupy her time with.

It wasn't important that the seat she had picked coincidentally allowed her to catch glimpses of the barista running to the counter and preparing the drinks. It was a comfortable table and a good seat, the view was coincidental. She stopped staring after a while, and chose to concentrate on the group chat discussion which she was supposed to join. Her group project was due in a month. Four weeks was plenty of time for her to do research. When she looked up at the clock, the ice had completely melted and the evening light was pouring through the window. Out of curiosity, she turned towards the counter, but it was the tall brunette who stood behind the cashier. She looked bored on her own. The other barista had probably disappeared into the back room for her break.

Just then, her phone vibrated; the sound was loud against the polished wood of the table and Yuqi couldn't help but jump as though she had been caught red handed. It was a message from her mother. Before the screen went dark, the time on her lockscreen blinked back at her. It was a couple of minutes past 6pm. She had already promised to be home for dinner.

This was getting ridiculous, she told herself during her second visit. It wasn’t as though she would suddenly get the courage to ask where she knew the barista from. Yet, she still ordered the same drink and sat at the same table by the window. Perhaps it was becoming a habit.

It was just as ridiculous when she found herself returning to the café to study the following week. She told herself that it was just a convenient place to go to, and the drinks were good. She had only tried the iced americano from the café but that was beside the point.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to try other drinks. She did. In fact, she made it a point before every visit to remind herself of the plan. She was to go up to the counter, introduce herself properly and tell the barista that she would like to try another drink instead. However, every time she stepped into the store, the pretty barista would look at her, smile, and ask if she would like her usual iced americano. Each time, despite preparing herself to say “No”, she always ended up nodding.

It was embarrassing to say the least. Song Yuqi wasn’t someone who got awkward around people.

By her sixth consecutive visit, she had exhausted the excuses she used to rationalize her frequent visits. Visiting the café had become a habit that she didn't really want to change. She had also learned a number of things.

Shuhua was the name of the tall brunette who always yelled out her name. Her name was always the one listed on the receipt because it was convenient to use one person’s account even though there were two people on shift. Tips and service fees would always be split equally so there was no point in logging in and out of their accounts.

The Taiwanese girl was a year younger than her and easy to talk to, even though Yuqi was almost certain that she was the spawn of satan. It started with Shuhua commenting that she must either really like their coffee to come back so often. She had spluttered out a remark which made the younger girl laugh in her face. Looking back, that was probably the moment when their friendship started.

At some point, their interactions progressed to actual conversations instead of periodic quips when Yuqi came to collect her drink, or rather, Shuhua would come over to disturb her while she attempted to study. They had become close enough for them to address one another informally. Yuqi had once asked her for the name of the barista who worked with her but she had been flatly rejected.

She still hadn’t spoken to the other barista apart from the few seconds when she made her order. Every time she queued up, she thought of ways to start a conversation, or even simple small talk. The day the barista came to the counter with her hair dyed blonde, Yuqi had told herself to take the opportunity to compliment her. It was the perfect time to start a conversation and get to know her.

The plan seemed foolproof. However, as always, the plan went out of the window the moment she reached the counter. Yuqi’s brain short circuited and she found herself nodding before she remembered what she had wanted to say. Like her many other previous attempts, the barista then darted away to prepare her drink before Yuqi could say anything else. At this point, she was almost certain that the barista had a bad impression of her.

It was as bad as it sounded. She had even caved and resorted to asking Shuhua for advice.

“If you can’t even ask her to change your usual order, how are you going to have an actual conversation with her?” Shuhua had pointed out sternly. “Unnie doesn't hate you. Just stop being a stalker and talk to her.”

Affronted, Yuqi had nothing to say except to deny the accusation. She couldn't help but be fascinated by her. The barista seemed so familiar in some ways, but Yuqi couldn’t figure it out.

There was one particular day where Yuqi was studying for an exam. She had been particularly busy that afternoon, such that even Shuhua hadn’t disturbed her.

It was around evening when she looked up and noticed the glass of iced tea sitting in front of her laptop. From the circle of water pooling around the base of the glass, the drink had been there for quite a while. At first, she had scanned around to check whether it had been delivered to her by mistake, but no one else seemed to be missing a drink. She looked for Shuhua, but the younger girl was pointedly avoiding her gaze.

The drink was probably from her, she supposed. She took a sip of the tea and tasted the residual sweetness from the syrup. Yuqi leaned back against her seat and relished in the much needed energy boost. She couldn't help but smile in delight, even as she flipped open her laptop and continued studying. As she left, she deliberately made a detour to the counter to thank and bid goodbye to the younger girl.

She started coming by even more often after that.

Whether it was rainy or sunny, Yuqi always ended up at the café every week without fail, ordering the same iced americano. It was as pathetic as it sounded, and Shuhua never failed to take the opportunity to make fun of her misery.

On the bright side, she now knew that the manager of the branch was called Miyeon and none of the employees listened to her. They had become acquainted one day, when she had heard her name being called by an unfamiliar voice. She learned that the manager often came by to help when one of the girls couldn't make their shift, or when she wanted to check up on them.

Out of all the staff in that outlet, there was only one other girl who worked in the kitchen, Soojin, whom she hadn’t met in person. Yuqi didn't know whether she should be proud of that fact. Yet, Shuhua was adamant that it was just a matter of time before Yuqi ended up befriending all the staff members, with the exception of one specific barista. Yuqi had almost given up on making progress with her until the unexpected happened.

It was ironic that how she found out the barista’s name wasn't through any of the people at the café. Instead, she would say that it was more like divine intervention. She had been studying at the café one afternoon when there was a tap on the window beside her. One glance at the source of the interruption and she immediately regretted her choice of table.

The door to the café burst open moments later as Minnie strode in.

“Song Yuqi! So this is where you've been hiding!” Yuqi rolled her eyes. She always did have a flair for the dramatics. It was why their personalities matched, most of the time. “You’ve been busy all month and this is where I find you.”

She had known Kim Minnie since they were in middle school. They had clicked immediately, being the only foreigners in class, and by the end of the first week, they had already promised to stick together. She was one of her longest friendships and undoubtedly, the most annoying one. The girl could never take “No” for an answer and it was almost impossible to hide from her. Yuqi glared at her friend.

“I’ve not been hiding.” She stated. Not that it mattered, because her friend ignored her entirely. Minnie plopped herself in the seat next to her and leaned back in her seat. She seemed blissfully unaware of the way Yuqi’s eyes bored into her. Shuhua was clearing up the table nearby, but the younger girl was obviously fascinated by the newcomer’s entrance.

Minnie tilted her head at the drink sitting on the table, almost untouched. Her eyes traveled slowly from the glass to Yuqi as she frowned.

“Since when do you drink coffee?”

Yuqi’s eyes widened. _Oh crap._ “Since forever!”

“No. You hate coffee. You ” Minnie argued. The disadvantage of being friends with someone for very long was that Minnie knew her too well. Yuqi didn't dare to glance in Shuhua’s direction. This piece of information would be used against her later, she was sure of it. “You always order tea or any other drink with sugar because coffee is too bitter.”

“That-“

“It’s true.” Shuhua’s voice interrupted. Yuqi whirled to the other girl who suddenly appeared beside her. She gave her a look that hoped would convey her betrayal.

“What?” Shuhua was standing at full height, so Yuqi felt the need to glare in order to make her point. “Did you think you were discreet?”

“What are you talking about?” Laughing nervously, she tried to brush the other girl off, but she should have known that the younger girl didn't know the meaning of the word “mercy”.

“You come in every week, order coffee, and take 6 hours to finish the glass.” Yuqi instantly regretted opening her mouth when she saw the matching smirks on Minnie and Shuhua’s faces. She didn't even have to introduce them to know that they were going to be friends after this. “It’s either you really wanted to sit in the café for some particular reason, or you don't drink coffee normally, or both.”

Minnie coughed into her hand. “I wonder which option fits our Yuqi.”

Yuqi groaned. There was no winning with both of them.

“Okay guys, I’m getting another drink.” She pushed her chair back and walked over to the counter amidst the chuckles from the girls behind her.

She had to speak to the barista at all costs. It would be different this time. She would make sure of it.

As the line inched forward, she steadied herself. _It’s simple. Just say “Hello, I’m Yuqi. What’s your favorite drink?”_ She told herself.

It was a good plan. However, the words that came tumbling out of her mouth ended up being rather dissimilar to her thoughts on the matter.

“Hi,” She began. The barista’s back was initially facing her, but she turned around when she spoke. At the intensity of her gaze, Yuqi felt a familiar feeling of being at a loss for words but she pushed through anyway. “I-I don’t like coffee.”

“Oh.”

There was an awkward silence that followed as the other girl gave her a look that could only be described as confusion. If Yuqi could bury herself in the ground in that moment, she probably would have. If anyone else were to overhear her, they wouldn’t believe that she was considered a social butterfly at school. After a short pause which felt like eternity to Yuqi, the barista tilted her head with a small smile.

“Okay, so what do you like?”

Yuqi had half a mind to blurt out “you” but thankfully, her remaining sense of dignity was strong enough to stop her from going through with it. She didn't want to embarrass herself more than she already had.

However, coming up with a replacement meant another round of awkward silence.

“Uh... well...” Yuqi quickly looked at the menu again. Making decisions for things like this wasn’t one of her strong points.

Her unexpected rescue came in the form of Kim Minnie. The older girl’s appearance at her side was not unwelcome, but what she said next stunned Yuqi into complete silence.

“Oh my, Jeon Soyeon-ssi! It’s been a while!”

If her jaw wasn’t attached to her face, Yuqi was sure it would have fallen to the ground. She looked between the barista and her best friend; the former being apprehensive but not unfriendly, and the latter looking like she had just struck lottery.

“Hello, Minnie-ssi. Yes, it’s been a few years.” There was a short hesitation when Soyeon said her name, as if she wasn’t sure whether she could trust her own memory.

“More than a few.” Minnie grinned. “I was so surprised when you transferred out during junior high. You’d been at school for what, a few months?”

“Uh, yeah.” Soyeon blinked. She was surprised that Minnie noticed her presence, not to mention the fact that she even remembered her at all. “The move happened really quickly...”

Yuqi was an idiot. She turned back to Soyeon. Minnie and her had attended the same schools right up till university. There was no way she would have missed Soyeon if the girl had been acquainted with Minnie.

The puzzle finally clicked into place when Minnie started reminiscing about their chemistry lab sessions and it brought a genuine smile to Soyeon’s face. A wide and innocent smile that Yuqi remembered seeing a few times from across the classroom.

Yuqi had mulled about for ages about their teacher choosing their lab partners, because she had been separated from her best friend. She knew that it wasn’t the new girl’s fault, but she couldn’t help but be jealous of all the fun they seemed to be having while she was stuck with a lab partner that did the bare minimum to pass. She had whined about it to Minnie because the other girl kept going on about how entertaining her new lab partner was. Hence, Yuqi couldn’t really disguise her happiness when the teacher announced that they would be swapping lab partners again, and she ended up with Minnie. It didn’t even occur to her at the time that there was a reason for the reshuffling.

“Since we’re finally in the same city again, let’s actually keep in touch this time!” Minnie suddenly handed over her phone. “Let’s exchange Kakao IDs!”

Soyeon looked over at Yuqi, who seemed equally surprised at the turn of events. There was no reason to turn her down so she found herself typing in her ID. By doing so, she missed the mischievous wink that the Thai girl shot Yuqi, who looked like she was about to combust.

“Right, Yuqi-ah, I want an iced tea since you’re already here.” Just like that, the conversation ended as abruptly as it began. “Bye Soyeon-ssi, I’ll text you and we can hang out sometime soon.”

Once again, Yuqi was left alone with Soyeon. However, the atmosphere wasn't as foreboding. Instead, the barista cleared her throat.

“So, you don't like coffee.” Yuqi bit her lip and shook her head guiltily. The other girl nodded thoughtfully.

“You seemed to like the tea though.” Soyeon said quietly. “It wasn't too sweet right?”

“That was from you?” The side of her lips quirked up, as if she had unwittingly stumbled upon a secret.

“Technically, it was Soojinie who asked me to find someone to try the tea.” Some measure of her disappointment must have shown on her face, because Soyeon looked like she was struggling to hold back her laughter. Yuqi hadn’t realised the other girl was such a tease.

“It’s not on our menu yet and she‘s considering pairing the drink with one of her pastries as a new set. She needed an unbiased opinion.” The barista explained with undisguised pride in her voice. “Plus, you looked like you needed it.”

Her tone was different now, Yuqi noticed. It was warmer, as though Soyeon had let down her guard just enough for her to take a peek.

“Please tell her that it was great and I look forward to ordering it when it's a part of the menu.” 

“I will.” Soyeon smiled at her and Yuqi felt her heart skip a beat. Shuhua was right. “So, would you like anything else?”

“I’d like to apologise for not remembering you.” Yuqi blurted out. Soyeon seemed more than a bit taken aback, so she was quick to supplement her sentence with an explanation. “We were in the same class but I didn’t recognize you.”

“Oh,” Soyeon laughed sheepishly. “That.”

“I’m so sorry!” Yuqi looked down at her hands. She felt the urge to fiddle with something, and wished she had brought a receipt with her. It helped to have something in her hand to keep her grounded.

“I... I would like to start over.” She said thickly. “If it’s okay with you.”

She was half expecting Soyeon to say “no” and tell her how weird she was being. However, there was none of that. The older girl shifted her weight to the side as she spoke.

“Well, we didn’t really know one another back then. As far as I’m concerned, this is already a do-over.”

“Okay.” Yuqi stretched out her hand, suddenly filled with a few ounces more of confidence. “Hello, I’m Yuqi. I don’t like coffee, but I’ve been drinking iced americano ever since you recommended it.”

The barista accepted the gesture with a soft chuckle.

“I’m Soyeon. I like making coffee but lately I’ve picked up an interest in tea infusions.” Yuqi couldn’t push away the thrill that shot through her veins at her words. The feeling wasn’t altogether unfamiliar. She had been experiencing it, in bits and pieces, each time she visited the café. Now, she just felt complete.

She felt a wave of excitement wash over her.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

Perhaps she could get used to coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! As part of a random thought series I had one day, I decided to play around with Coffeeshop AU ideas because Yuyeon didn't have any fics in this trope yet. 
> 
> I was originally going to make it a oneshot but I couldn't resist the double POV temptation. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading it and do leave me a comment if you'd like!


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